The Seething Ignored
by RegretFool
Summary: With the ryoka invasion of Seretei causing mass confusion among the shinigami Captain Soi Fon is given permission to free a certain prisoner from the Nest of Maggots to help deal with the situation, but will such a person actually assist the shinigami? This story sees an original character mingling with Tite Kubo's characters in a way that doesn't disrupt canon.
1. Chapter 1 - The Ignored

**Chapter One - The Ignored**

The sound of a single pair of footsteps echoed through the deepest and most bleakest corridor that the Nest of Maggots had to offer, they were as light as could be yet in the deepest part of the maddening prison even a heartbeat could be heard with ease.

Soi Fon Captain of Seireitei's Second Division and Commander-in-Chief of the Covert Ops made her way down to the deepest section of the prison where a prisoner she has long tried to free resided.

The only prisoner in the Nest of Maggots to have a cell, the only prisoner to have his arms in shackles and the only prisoner to have been convicted of a crime he waited with anticipation for his visitor. Soi Fon tried to sense the prisoners spiritual pressure amongst the spirit reducing stone as she always did on her journey to his cell and like all but the first visit she felt a void. It was an ominous sensation and quite depriving for a soul that had known nothing past the rich atmosphere of Soul Society but she endured, they both did.

His jet black hair was unkempt like the rest of him and it took up more space in his small cell than his body having grown out a little over fifteen meters in length during his arduous stay. It had not been changed much like the cross-legged sitting position he had maintained up on his bed in all the years, in all the visits, in all the moments that another would have succumbed to madness.

As Soi Fon made her way to the cell his pale face turned as his hazel eyes eagerly awaited a change of scenery, with a swift stride Soi Fon came into view and turned to face him.

He was the first to speak as he always was.

'Why hello, its been a while since you've visited. What news do you have for me today?' he asked in an almost condescending yet playful tone as he bopped his head to the side.

'Your freedom' she sternly stated.

'My...' He cautiously began before being cut off.

'Former member of the Covert Ops, from this day forth you have your freedom, furthermore the Third Seat of The Second Division has been assigned to you. Do you accept?!'

In a brief exchange his bleak surrounding melted away, he rose to his feet, straightened his back and he spoke in a formal and prideful manner befit of a soldier instead of a prisoner. ' I humbly accept Captain Shaolin'

...

'I have long since abandoned that name, no one has uttered it for a hundred years outside these walls, do not do so again' she quipped.

'As you command Captain Soi Fon' he replied with a vow that made her order gospel. Soi Fon thought this was peculiar as she had known this man to withhold from lying yet in his compliance he had returned to his playful tone of voice.

She let it slide.


	2. Chapter 2 - Shameful Freedom

**Chapter Two - Shameful Freedom**

The two of them made their way up to the courtyard in silence, Soi Fon lead the way with a patient stride while the prisoner followed in tow, his long hair dragging along behind him. With his arms still in shackles he welcomed the slowly approaching light of the courtyard as the first taste of his freedom. It was still a part of the prison but it was a different setting, one which was lit brighter than the candles in the hallway of his cell managed.

In a twist of irony the light blinded him as he made the final step through the corridor into the courtyard and a deep shame came crashing down upon him. For him to have to cover his eyes and deny himself his own inward sense of freedom filled him with a sorrow that he had not felt since his inauguration to the Nest of Maggots.

'That is to be expected, your eyes have been deprived of light for far too long' Soi Fon remarked as she continues walking unphased by the prisoners pain.

He lowered his head and moved his hair to help cover his eyes as he continued following her. The short journey through the courtyard was unusually silent, whispers could be heard amongst the inmates but none of them approached the pair let alone moved.

As they closed in on the entrance the prisoner stumbled over another inmate who lay flat on the ground unconscious with a mangled left hand.

Daring to open his eyes until he could determine what was blocking his path the prisoner noticed the body in front of him and a dozen more nearby all unconscious or injured, the ones who were merely injured were as silent as the unconscious ones though.

'Now I understand why we haven't been attacked yet, you were quite harsh to them on your way to see me' the prisoner mumbled still trying to deal with the light.

'No, they always attacked me on the way back during my visits. The reason they aren't attacking this time is you' Soi Fon sternly assured him.

'They would attack a Captain before myself?'

'So it seems.'

'I guess that explains why none of them came to my cell during my stay but I can't...comprehend it.'

'The only other prisoner to have a cell in The Nest of Maggots is now a Captain level shinigami with a reputation for extreme sadism, in addition you are the only one to have ever been held here for a crime committed. When you piece this information together your status amongst them should be obvious, it is after all one of the reasons you have your freedom' Soi Fon explained.

'...I don't understand.'

'As the third seat of the Second Division you are the warden of this prison. It's management will be of ease for someone with your reputation.'

'No, if that was the case I would've been freed sooner, why now all of a sudden?'

Soi Fon waited for them to exit the courtyard and begin walking down the final corridor before explaining the next part to him. The prisoner moved his hands down from his eyes as she did so in the light deprived corridor.

'I'll be blunt. Soul Society has been invaded, the intruders managed to defeat Jidambo the West Gatekeeper earlier today though Captain Ichimaru managed to push them back before they could enter. It is assumed they will attempt to enter again, the job of stopping them outside the walls falls to you.'

Soi Fon noticed that the prisoner stopped halfway through the speech.

'What is it?' She asked in a tone that suggested her question was more of way of telling him to hurry up rather than one of curiosity.

'That child Gin Ichimaru is now a Captain?'

'Yes, he was one of the more recently promoted Captains, did I not mention this during one of my visits?...I may have left it out actually.'

The prisoner began walking in an almost rushed stride taking the lead on the way to the exit, Soi Fon relished the opportunity to exit at a faster pace. She arrived at the exit to see the prisoner standing by the outer guards once again covering his eyes. With her exit the guards stood at salute, one of them carried Suzumebachi he bowed as he presented it to his commander while the other unlocked the prisoners shackles with her permission.

Entry to the Nest of Maggots came hand in hand with leaving your weapons at the door and a sense of relief came to Soi Fon as she tied her partner to her sash, though she did not let it show as with most of her emotions.

'Let's continue, the barracks are close by. I will show you to your room.'

'Wait, please cut my hair, I don't want to drag it along any longer.' He stated almost regretfully as he noticed the dirt accumulating in his hair.

Soi Fon was accommodating and took special care to ensure that her handling of the prisoner was gentle. She grasped his hair from behind his neck and unsheathed her Zanpakuto but before she made the cut the prisoner interrupted.

'Wait...leave some length...please,' he muttered as his eyes remained covered.

'As you wish,' Soi Fon stated in compliance before lowering Suzumebachi below his shoulder blades. 'Is this length acceptable?' she confirmed.

'Yes...thank you,' he mumbled once again.

With his permission she sliced clean through the absurdly long growth. With his movements less restricted he turned to face her whilst still covering his eyes.

'I'm ready' he uncomfortably stated.

Soi Fon sheathed her Zanpakuto, dropped the hair and began walking towards the barracks, the prisoner followed trampling his hair in the process.

He wondered as he left the Maggots Nest how inconvenienced the guards would be in disposing of his hair and a playful smile began to form upon his face before the blindness caused by the his freedom wiped it back off.


	3. Chapter 3 - A New Prison

**Chapter Three - A New Prison**

The sun began to set as they made their way to the Second Division's Barracks in silence. Instead of relying on Soi Fon's footsteps which she made purposely loud for his convenience the prisoner began to examine his surroundings, though he never lowered his hands from his eyes.

The arduous examination caused a feeling of uneasiness to slowly seep into him, the Second Division had maintained a high standard of living since Yoruichi Shihoin of the Shihoin noble family had assumed Captainship but what the prisoner was seeing he would describe as "overkill". The Second Division grounds had become luxurious to the point that it was hard to imagine them as the grounds of a military organisation.

The flora they were passing was in pristine condition to the point that its perfection lead the prisoner to believe that it may have been artificial. The pathway was made of solid white stone with the occasional pair of red pillars bearing the Second Division's insignia appearing towards the edges of the path. The leaves of the trees were all a luscious shade of green and they came together to form shapes that seemed to favour feng shui.

As the two neared the barracks pasque flowers began to line the edges of the path, they boasted a rich purple colour on the outside and a pale purple on the inside, their very centre's were filled with a bright yellow pollen.

Like the prestigious nature of the Second Division the pasque flower had become its insignia with the inauguration of Yoruichi Shihoin into the Captain position, she had taken a fancy to them due to the similarity in colour they shared with her violet hair and had since unified them with the Second Division.

As the pair walked further the flowers grew thicker though they never gave the impression that they were left to their own devices, they were maintained with the utmost care and extended all the way to the exterior of the Second Divisions barracks.

Upon entering the courtyard they were greeted by...nobody, it was completely desolate. The prisoner felt uneasy about this but the Second Division had no doubt embraced the nature of solitude that the Covert Ops had brought with them. Regardless it was only a short walk to headquarters.

It was here that the prisoner took in the brief pleasure of walking on floorboards again, a symbol of his status as an agent of Seireitei he took in the echo of each footstep savouring it until Soi Fon came to a stop.

'This is your room' Soi Fon noted as she pointed him to the wooden sliding door beside them.

He gave a slight bow before entering the room and gave it again when he had entered assuming that they would part ways here. Soi Fon however stood closely to the door signifying that she wanted to enter, he stepped aside and closed the door behind her finally allowing himself to lower his hands from his eyes.

She entered and pulled up a stool before speaking.

'Your freedom came with the condition of me watching over you.'

She unsheathed her Zanpakuto and called out to it 'Exhaust the enemy, kill quickly, Suzumebachi'. With a soft glow it assumed its released form of an arm guard connected to a single golden claw that slipped over Soi Fon's middle finger.

Inwardly fear overwhelmed the prisoner yet outwardly he looked only slightly uneasy. He began to edge away from the room slowly moving towards the door until she told him to do otherwise.

'Take a seat' she firmly asked.

'Captain...' he began to plea before being cut off.

'Don't assume I know you any more than you know me, and don't assume my influence reaches to an extent that you are allowed to do as you wish!'

He took a deep breath and made his way to the stool sitting down so that he would face her. She moved behind him though and spoke again, 'pull down your robe'. He did so with a sense of defeat and shame that caused his head to slump forward.

He knew what was coming and to him it was something that shattered the very ideal that his Captain presented herself with.

She placed her left hand on his left shoulder it was cold yet gentle, 'It'll only hurt for a second' she assured him right before she pricked his back with Suzumebachi moving her hand to cover the cut immediately while at the same time admiring the design that had formed upon his back.

'My hornets crest won't disappear anymore, not without me willing it. With this I will be able to determine your location should the need arise, it was a requirement of your release' she repeated.

She withdrew her hand from the now sealed cut and began to make her way to the door.

'Captain, I would like to be re-instated into the Covert Ops under your blade' he declared unshaken in only his determination by the betrayal that had just occurred.

'There is no need for that, your duties lie elsewhere now' she calmly stated.

'I am more than willing to fulfil any duty that will benefit Soul Society but this will give me an ease of mind if you will allow me it.'

'...very well' she complied and walked back over to him sealing Suzumebachi and taping both his shoulders with it, 'it is done' she declared.

It was a long tradition that the Commander-in-Chief of The Covert Ops imbued some of their spiritual pressure into the members of the Covert Ops so that with a single motion of their Zanpakuto they could be summoned to their side.

She turned and walked towards the door.

'Sleep well for tomorrow your strength shall be gauged, the day after you shall set out to find the would-be intruders and eliminate them.'

They made eye contact for a brief moment before she began to close the door, it was then that he noticed the small patch of pasque flowers growing outside his room, his own personal patch.

His head slumped further down.

(A/N: I drew a picture for this chapter, the link of which is located on my profile as it cannot be linked here.)


	4. Chapter 4 - Reacquainting

**Chapter Four- Reacquainting**

Enthusiasm was not a word that would properly describe Soi Fon as she awoke each morning, but that never stopped her from getting out of bed, getting herself organised and setting out in as fast a time as possible while at the same time maintaining her usual calm demeanour.

That next morning though Soi Fon awoke internally enthused but due to the speedy nature of her morning routine it seemed like any other day.

She readied herself, tied Suzumebachi to her back and with a swift stride stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her before making her way to the prisoners room. While she did walk it was at a brisk pace wanting to reach her destination as fast as possible while of course maintaining her calm demeanour.

When she finally reached his door she knocked immediately only to realise that he was already awake and in the courtyard practicing sequences with a Zanpakuto, his Zanpakuto.

When the prisoner was first arrested she assumed that his Zanpakuto would have been confiscated and handed in to the Second Decision for safe keeping but it was never received nor found and yet here it was in the prisoners hands, she was sure of it.

In its sealed form two distinct features set it apart from other Zanpakuto, one was quite unique while other was very odd indeed. Its unique trait was that the hilt was a pale white creamy colour while at the same time boasting a slightly longer length, she had felt the pressure of his swings when this was put to use as it allowed for more erratic and powerful strikes when wielded with the users hands further apart. On the other hand the odd trait was that his Zanpakuto lacked a guard, instead it seamlessly transitioned between hilt and blade.

She approached with caution not wanting to startle him while also maintaining a slight uneasiness at the reacquiring of his Zanpakuto. As she approached confusion began to seep through her as she realised that she could feel no spiritual pressure emitting from him despite his prolonged removal from the spirit reducing stone that made up the walls of The Nest Of Maggots.

Spiritual pressure leaked out of all beings subconsciously, with a conscious effort and proper application however this could be reduced to minuscule levels. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Covert Ops Soi Fon took pride in mastering such a tool of restraint that was an unspoken requirement of her position. She had perfected the ability to the point where she was absolutely confident that her application of it surpassed the other twelve Captains, yet here in front of her stood an individual that had only known a prison cell while she had undergone excruciating training for skills that were in constant application and she was without doubt that he was beyond her in this aspect of their strength.

She had assumed that his behaviour yesterday had been influenced by his removal from the spirit reducing stone and that he was simply unable to cope with the spiritual pressure present in the outside world but this was obviously not the case. With all her heart she wanted to blame it on the spirit reducing stone but she was sure of it, the lack of his spiritual pressure was a conscious effort on his behalf.

As she got closer her attention moved from his Zanpakuto to his left shoulder blade, her hornets crest was still there and with it was an abundance of scars across his back and arms. She had failed to notice them last night in the darkness of his room, but in the morning sun they were blatant.

As she neared he noticed the miniscule spiritual pressure emitting from her and turned to face her revealing a plethora of scars across his chest to match those on his back, Soi Fon once again marvelled at how distracted she must have been to not notice them last night. With her presence he flipped his Zanpakuto over so as not to face the blade towards her while offering a bow.

'Good morning Captain Soi Fon' he said greeting her in a playful tone that gave no impression of the sorrow that had plagued him the night before.

She ignored his greeting and got straight to the issue at hand.

'How did you reacquire your Zanpakuto?!'

'What this? Why my Zanpakuto has always been by my side' he confessed with a playful smile.

It was the same as yesterday, confliction coursed through her, his word defied logic.

'How is such a thing possible?'

He placed the tip of the blade in one hand and the pommel in the other.

'Like this.'

In an abrupt moment the prisoner slammed his hands together, instead of his Zanpakuto slicing through them though it disappeared. She stood there stunned for a couple of seconds before requiring herself.

'I see, you must have learnt your Zanpakuto's name shortly before your arrest, its release employs quite a peculiar power.'

The prisoner offered his smile before responding.

'Not as peculiar as yours my Captain.'

She allowed her lips to curve slightly if only for a moment before remembering that she had more to ask of him.

'Another question, why can't I feel your spiritual pressure? You can't possibly still be under the effects of the Nest's spirit reducing stone.'

'Perhaps your abilities have become dull in my absence' he teased as he drew his Zanpakuto out of thin air.

'If you like I can bring you up to scratch, my Captain.'

'You couldn't fight me as you are, without any spiritual pressure you'd only hurt yourself if you struck me...if you did manage to strike me by some miracle that is.'

In response he let loose a small slither of his spiritual pressure proving to her that he wasn't powerless. It rushed passed her but it wasn't menacing, it was accommodating and gently caressed her before dissipating into the atmosphere.

This time Soi Fon wore her smile proudly as she began to draw Suzumebachi.

However before she could draw a figure appeared between them, his Zanpakuto drawn and his eyes fixed on the prisoner.

'What do you think you are doing!?' he shouted with authority.

The prisoner stood stunned and heavily disappointed with the timing of the interruption.


	5. Chapter 5 - Failed Restraint

**Chapter Five- Failed Restraint**

The man completely blocked out Soi Fon for he was large both in height and weight. His black hair was styled fashionably and he wore an attention inducing purple collar along with his Shinigami uniform. The prisoner however chose to focus his attention to the armband that the man wore on his left arm it featured the number 2 and a pasque flower, this was the Lieutenant of the Second Division.

Before the prisoner could muster a response Soi Fon grabbed the man's shoulder annoyed at the interruption and furious at the idea that she would need protecting.

'You have my deepest apologies Lieutenant, you have my gratitude for watching over The Second Division all these years, I look forward to working with you!'

Soi Fon's grip on his shoulder eases and she let go.

'Stand down Omaeda.'

With a look of surprise caused by the reaction of both parties Omaeda sheathed his Zanpakuto and introduced himself.

'I'm Marechiyo Omaeda, pleased to meet you' he said with a slight bow out of reciprocation to the prisoners show of respect.

'Omaeda is it? So you come from that rich family. I guess that explains the luxurious nature that the grounds have embraced, a much different sight compared to the days I once spent here.'

Omaeda grinned at the praise the new third seat officer was showering him with.

'Well now that you two are acquainted I shall take my leave, Omaeda will be your instructor for today.'

Soi Fon turned to her Lieutenant to make the next part clear.

'I expect a full report by sundown. He will be heading into Rukongai tomorrow to deal with the intruders and I am assuming he didn't get much sleep last night if any at all.'

The prisoner smiled, she was right he had spent the entire night wide awake, his time asleep was over.

With that Soi Fon took her leave wishing that her Lieutenant hadn't arrived early to interrupt along the way back to her office.

'I'm sure you're tired of wearing that prison robe, let's get you a uniform from the barracks, this way' Omaeda informed the prisoner as he began to head to their destination.

Omaeda lead with a proud stride, this was his division and he was its Lieutenant, there wasn't a place he felt more comfortable than the Second Division grounds as he himself was the catalyst for its divine appearance.

The prisoner on the other hand had never felt so disconnected, his surrounds had changed beyond recognition along with his position and companions. The only remnant of his past was Soi Fon herself and she was not in a position to indulge him, not that he was confident she would indulge him even if she were in a position to do so.

He embraced it however, he had been allowed to re-enter society and was going to take advantage of it.

The two of them reached the barracks and entered, Omaeda approaching the two Shinigami at the front desk with an air of confidence as they noticed him.

'Good morning Lieutenant Omaeda' they greeted him fiercely at attention.

He offered them a single nod in response before speaking.

'Fetch a uniform for my companion.'

One of them hurried into the room behind the desk and emerged rather quickly with a standard black Shinigami uniform.

'You can change in the room behind if you wish' he stated as he handed it over to the prisoner.

He accepted the uniform with a bow before entering the room which he found to be filled neatly with Shinigami and Covert Ops uniforms along with the basic equipment available to any member of the Gotei Thirteen.

He closed the door behind him and began to change once again being prone to a feeling of unfamiliarity. Though he had a Zanpakuto he had never worn a Shinigami uniform, his place had always been in the shadows as a member of The Covert Ops and a prisoner of The Nest Of Maggots.

In spite of these feelings he managed to exit the room with a small sense of pride.

'This way' Omaeda instructed as they left the building, the two officers bowing as they did so.

'There's a place not too far from here where we won't cause interruptions, will you be able to keep up if I pick up the pace?'

'But of course my Lieutenant' the prisoner announced with his playful smile.

Unamused by his change of personality Omaeda took off instantly chaining flash step after flash step before looking behind to check on the prisoner, he did indeed keep up with him as he said he would maintaining a close distance as they moved through the Second Division's grounds.

Refusing to be upstaged by an officer with a lower seat than his own Omaeda used his full speed for the last three flash steps before reaching his destination, when he arrived he turned to find that the prisoner was nowhere to be seen.

'Looks like your cocky attitude was unwarranted' he said with a smile of his own, it was only a moment after though that he heard the prisoners voice from behind him.

'My my you're quiet fast for your appearance, as expected of a member of the Second Division.'

The prisoner looked around while Omaeda stared at him in shocked.

'Nice place you've got here, nothing but grassy plains for quite some distance. This should be just fine.'

Omaeda wanted to respond but before he could put together the words the prisoner spoke again with a smile.

'It seems you're eager, come at me then!'

Omaeda calmly drew his Zanpakuto and raised it in front of him.

'Well? Aren't you going to draw yours?' Omaeda protested.

'Me? I am the third seated officer of the Second Division, remember? I believe that being warden of the Nest of Maggots comes along with that position, am I correct?'

'Yes... and what of it?' Omaeda asked.

'Well that means I will be using hand to hand combat quite a bit in the future so I would like to get some practice in now if that's okay?' the prisoner said slyly.

'As you wish' Omaeda said smiling once again

He rushed forward bringing his Zanpakuto up for a downward attack, as he attacked however the prisoner stepped back disappearing and immediately reappearing on Omaeda's right side in a crouching position.

With an explosion of speed the prisoner raised his palm under Omaeda's strike landing a blow right into his gut. Omaeda dropped his Zanpakuto and took a couple of steps back before falling forward into unconsciousness.

In the short time after the prisoners strike and before Omaeda's fainting he had felt immense fear and regret for trusting such a person, his life was now in this criminals hands.

As Omaeda fell forward the prisoner smiled more widely than he ever had before for his freedom had now truly begun.


	6. Chapter 6 - I Remember You

**Chapter Six - I Remember You**

The prisoner stood over the unconscious body of his Lieutenant. With a twitch of his smile a portal leading to darkness opened up beneath Omaeda swallowing him, the prisoner followed jumping in after his victim his arms hanging calmly by his side as he did so...

The grounds of the Fourth Division were as quite as ever, while they were constantly kept busy with Shinigami that had been injured in the line of duty the Third Seated officer Yasochika Lemura did well to keep the place running efficiently and professionally.

Because of this impeccable system Hanataro Yamada had managed to finish his local duties early and was on his way out of the infirmary to visit Rukia Kuchiki who was being held prisoner in the Sixth Division's Barracks.

He had been assigned to clean her cell during the early days of her capture and had come to enjoy her company, not only because of the interesting stories that she had to tell regarding the human world but also because of her warm and gentle nature.

Hanataro was such a person himself which is why he timidly fell back and froze upon his exit from the infirmary as it was then that the prisoner dropped out of the sky right in front of him. He landed with a thud that was as light as the prisoner's landing , Omaeda followed shortly after and the prisoner managed to catch his unconscious body safely with both arms before dropping him and dragging him behind his back as he made his way to Hanataro.

Hanataro had initially frozen purely at the surprising nature of the situation but when he noticed that the Second Division's Lieutenant had fallen along with the prisoner and that he was unconsciously being dragged along by his assailant he began to feel a sharp dagger of fear being driven into the back of his neck.

The prisoner's entrance had been attention grabbing though Hanataro was the only one in the vicinity to have noticed it and with each step that the prisoner took towards his secluded self the dagger at his neck pierced him further. Hanataro was about to break, he was about to lash out at the prisoner, or run , or pass out...he was about to do something...anything.

It was in this moment of pure adrenalin that the prisoner finally spoke causing the pain at Hanataro's neck to alleviate.

'My my did I startle you? My apologies but there was a bit of an...accident during a training exercise. Am I able to leave my companion with you?' he said with a sly smile which served to put Hanataro at ease unlike the effect it held over Soi Fon.

'Umm I don't think I can carry him, but if you could bring him inside to one of the beds I would make sure he's treated' Hanataro stated as he got on his feet.

'But of course.'

Hanataro turned back into the building, the prisoner followed still dragging Omaeda along the ground behind him.

With his curiosity overcoming his unconfident attitude Hanataro finally chose to ask about the patient that he was receiving.

'Excuse me...did Captain Soi Fon do this?'

'No no no, why this is my doing. I hope you can forgive me for causing you trouble.'

Such extreme clashes between Shinigami especially those of a high seated rank were punished severely and here lied a Lieutenant one of Soul Society's elite completely put out of commission by a stranger. The situation was dire Hanataro realised this, but he didn't feel like he was in any immediate danger...not anymore at least.

Shortly after they reached the designated room and the prisoner laid Omaeda down on the closest bed before turning to leave. He had caused enough of a scene and wanted to return to the shadows where he was comfortable away from potential prying eyes.

'Well then, now that that's sorted I must be going, thanks for your hard work' he stated as he made for the door.

'Umm, sorry but you can't leave, you have to see our Third Seated Officer first' said Hanataro with an unconfident conviction.

The prisoner ignored him deciding that Hanataro's lack of confidence would make this problem disappear if he simply left now and he was right in that aspect, but unfortunately for him he had already caused enough of a disturbance to warrant unwanted attention.

As the prisoner turned out of the room to walk down the hall a feminine arm slithered around his shoulders, the prisoner was too late and he froze completely in his moment of failure.

Hanataro noticed the arrival of the visitor and came to greet her.

'Uhh Captain...'

She turned to face him with a smile that snapped him out of his colloquialism, he bowed as an apology before greeting his Captain properly.

'Good morning Captain Unohana.'

It was as the prisoner had feared.

'Good morning Hanataro' she said returning the greeting with a warm smile before turning her attention to the man under her arm.

The prisoner undaring enough to move chose to greet her instead.

'Good morning Captain Unohana.'

She gave off a slight chuckle in amusement.

'It's been a long time hasn't it? My how your hair has grown.'

Her small talk brought a calmness to the prisoner, that and the fact that he had recalled the ludicrous length of his hair while in the Nest of Maggots.

'You should have seen it the other day' he joked...'though I am surprised you remember me.'

Hanataro looked on in surprise, he had never seen this man in all his years at the Fourth Division yet he somehow knew Captain Unohana.

'Well it's not often that I get to escape the responsibilities of the infirmary...with that said only one other man has given me a look as fierce as you have.'

...

The prisoner finally turned to face her, their eyes met and maintained contact for an awkward amount of time before she let him go with a smile.

'I shall attend to the Lieutenant, Hanataro will you assist me?'

'Yes Captain' he declared with a sense of regret knowing that his visit to Rukia would have to wait.

She left the prisoner and made her way to Omaeda.

'That's it? You're just going to let me leave like that!?' The prisoner asked abruptly in a fit of confusion.

'Yes.'

'Why? How can you be so trusting?'

'You brought me a patient not a corpse, I have no need for retribution.'

'But...'

'My responsibility lies with the wounded, I have not acted as Soul Society's sword...for a long time' she said interrupting him.

After a moment the prisoner ran back down the hall to his escape and Retsu turned to examine the empty doorway before turning her attention back to Omaeda.

Hanataro could only stare in awe as his ego prevented him from asking the blooming questions that that plagued his mind.

The prisoner made his exit and found a secluded area on the grounds before comfortably entering the same dark portal that brought him to the Fourth Division grounds, the only thought on his mind being that he wanted to pay the other Captains a visit.


End file.
